Last week, we received 2 lbs of garlic scapes in our CSA share. We ended up using half of them to make pesto to pack in our lunches. I am sure my patients appreciated my garlic breath on the day I ran out of gum. The pesto has a very strong garlic flavor, so I wouldn’t recommend trying it unless you love garlic. Pretzel thins and wheat thins are a great match for the pesto, but I ended up making our favorite wheat crackers to go with it. If you have never made crackers before, I suggest you give it a try. They are pretty quick to make and taste a zillion times better than store bought. The hardest part is rolling the dough out very thin. I usually just give up and just make thick crackers. They may not look as pretty, but they still taste good.

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

Yield: 3.5 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 lb scapes (or about 18-20 large scapes)

1 1/4 cups olive oil

1 cup walnuts

8 oz romano or parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Wash and dry scapes thoroughly. Cut or break scapes into 2 inch pieces to make blending easier. Shred cheese or break into hunks (depending on how powerful your blender/food processor is). Add olive oil, lemon juice, scapes, walnuts, and cheese to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.